Feed-water regulator.



No. 644,689. Patented Mar. 6, I900. A. R. SHATTUCK.

FEED WATER REGULATOR.

(Application filed May 10, 1999.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet I.

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No. 644,689. Patented Mar. 6, I900. A. B. SHATTUGK.-

FEED WATERREGULATOR.

(Application filed may 10, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 2,

WITNESSES m VEN roe g I M Q. /1Wuc ALBERT R. SI'IATTUCK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FEED-WATER REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,689, dated March 6, 1900.

Application filed May 10, 1899. gerlal No. 716,204, (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT R. SHATTUCK, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Feed-Water Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a regulating device which is controlled by variations in level of the water in a steam-boiler and which may be employed for any desired purpose-such, for example, as the regulation of the feed to the boiler or steam to a feed-pump.

My invention consists in the combination, in a regulator controlled by changes of waterlevel in a boiler, of a stand-pipe communicating at its lower portion with the water-space of said boiler and also with the feed-water supply thereof and at its upper portion with the steam-space of said boiler, of a tube expansible and contractible under variations of temperature and rigidly secured at one end to and communicating with the lower part of said stand-pipe and secured at the other end so as to be free to expand and contract and communicating with the upper part of said stand-pipe, vertical tubes connected to the extremity of said expansible tube within said stand-pipe,acontrollingdevice,suchasavalve or cock, and intermediate mechanism for actuating said controlling device by the expansion and contraction of said tube; also, in the combinations pointed out in the several claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved regulator, and Fig. 2 is a top View.

Similar numbers of reference indicate like parts.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 is a tube, which is preferably made in the form of a coil. It may, however, be straight or in any other desired shape. The material of which this tube is to be composed is preferably a metal having a high coefficient of expansion.

2 is a stand-pipe communicating with the boiler 3 by the tubes 4 and 5. In the tube 5 may be placed an ordinary check-valve 6. The stand-pipe 2 is cylindrical in form and is provided at its ends with heads 7 and 8. The lower extremity of tube 1 is rigidly secured to the lower part of the stand-pipe. The upper extremity of tube 1 is to be secured in the stand-pipe so that it may be free to have the longitudinal movement due to its contraction or expansion through differences in temperature.

One mode of connecting the lower end of the tube 1 to the stand-pipe is shown in the drawings and is as follows: On one side of the stand-pipe is cast or otherwise formed a tube 9, which projects outside of the standpipe and has a flange 10. The end of pipe 1 is flanged at 11 and is bolted to the flange 10. The short tube 9 projects through the wall of the stand-pipe and receives the short pipe 12, which connects by an elbow 13 with the vertical pipe 14:.

The tube 1 is preferably made in the form of a close coil, with the turns as near together as possible, and this coil surrounds the standpipe, as shown. At the upper end of the tube 1 there is a straight section 15, which passes through the stuffing-box 16 in the side of the stand-pipe and connects with the vertical pipe 17 by an elbow 18. Because the tube 1 is rigidly secured at its lower end variations in temperature will cause it to expand and contract in the direction of its length, and this it is free to do because it passes through the stuffing-box 16. On the cover 8 is secured or integrally formed a bracket 19. On the lower edge of said bracket may be formed half-bearings 20, in which the straight portion of the tube 1 is received and secured by covers 21, bolted above. Between the half-bearings 20 the tube 15 carries on its upper side a rack 22. Pivoted at 2 1 is alever 25, which carries at its lower end a toothed sector 23 and at its upper end a toothed sector 26. The toothed sector 23 engages with a pinion 27, pivoted on bracket 19. The shaft of pinion 27 may be the rod of a valve or cook 28 in the pipe 29, or said shaft or said pinion may be connected to any device which it is desired to control by means of my regulator. On the shaft of pinion 27 is a pointer 30, moving over a scale 31, fixed on the bracket 19. The object of the pointer is to show the position of the pinion, and hence of the valve or other device to which said pinion may be attached.

Communicating with the lower portion of the stand-pipe 2 is a pipe 32 for the admission of feed-water, which enters the stand-pipe 2 in the direction of the arrow a, and thence passes to the boiler 3, the check-valve t then lifting.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings the feed-pipe 29 may be understood as connected to a pump, which forces the feed-water into said pipe in the direction of the arrow 1), and the said feed-pipe then connects with pipe 32, communicating with the bottom portion of the stand-pipe 2.

The operation of the device is as follows: Steam will enter the stand pipe from -the boiler 3 through the pipe 4. Feed-water will enter the bottom of the stand-pipe through the pipe 32 and will rise up in the stand-pipe and also in the tube 1. The greater portion of the feed-water, however, will pass through the pipe 5 to the boiler. The level of the water in the stand-pipe and tube 1 will therefore be the same as in the boiler 3say, for example, as on the line a; on.

By reason of the construction of the tube 1, as already explained, the straight portion 15 thereof has a longitudinal movement due to the expansion and contraction of the entire tube. This1novement,impartedtothetoothed sector 23 by the rack 22, is through the pivoted rod 25 communicated to the toothed sector26 and by that means to the pinion 27,

so that the cook 28, actuated thereby, is rotated over an are which is to be sufficient to allow said cock to be placed in position in the pipe 29 to permit feed-water to pass to the stand-pipe 2 or shut it off, as the case maybe.

The parts are to be so adjusted as that when the water in the boiler is at the datum-line .r a: the cock in the feed-pipe may be opened only to just such an extent as will permit sufficient water to go to the boiler to compensate for variations due to evaporation under some prescribed normal condition. Should, however, the water-level fall in the boiler, then the water will fall equally in tube 1 say, for example, to the level indicated by the dotted lines 1 In such case steam will occupy all of the tube 1 above said lines 3 y, and therefore the greater portion of that tube. Hence said tube will become more highly heated and will expand and by reason of such expansion will actuate the lever-25 to permit more water to pass through the feed-pipe 29 to the stand-pipe 2 and tube 1. If, on the other hand, the water-level should rise in the boiler,it will also rise in the tube 1, say to the level indicated by the dotted lines ,2, and then the greater portion of the tube will be filled with the cool feed-water,and as a consequence the tube 1 will contract and will actuate the lever 25 to move the cook 28 in the feed-pipe 20 inv such direction as to shut off the water-flow.

I desire to call especial attention here to the fact that the contents of the tube 1 are not steam and water both from the boiler, but steam from the boiler and cool feed-water, which is always of a temperature much lower than that of the water in the boiler. There is therefore under ordinary conditions a difference of temperature between the steam and water in the tube 1 very much greater than exists between the steam and water in the boiler. Consequently there is a larger difference in temperature of the tube 1 when it becomes in greater portion filled with either steam or water than would be the case if said tube did not connect with the feed and receive the cool water therefrom.

It will be observed that I make the tube 1 here in the form of a coil. .Thisis not essential, although I regard it here as preferable. I also here carry that coil around the standpipe, but I may place the stand-pipe outside of it or I may carry the coil around the boiler or around both stand-pipe and boiler, as may appear desirable.

The vertical appendages 14 and 17 of the tube 1 within the stand-pipe 2 should be carried up and down nearly to the ends of the stand-pipe. Their object is to prevent either steam or water becoming trapped in the coils of the tube 1 in case the support for the boiler rolls, oscillates, or tilts, as may happen when said boilerand apparatus are placed in avehiole passing over obstructions in a road or in a floating vessel of any kind.

In case it may be found desirable I may employ a cylinder 33, inclosing the exterior of the coiled tube 1, for the purpose of preventing any possible increase in diameter of the coils when the temperature thereof is raised, and to insure a greater movement of the straight portion 15 of said tube said cylinder may be supported by any convenient bracket, as 34, upon the side of the boiler. Of course where the tube is not made in coil form, as here shown, such a cylinder may be omitted.

I claim- 1. The combination in a regulator controlled by changes of water-level in a boiler, of a stand-pipe communicating at its lower portion with the water-space of said boiler, and also with the feed-water supply thereof and at its upper portion with the steam-space of said boiler, a tube 1 expansible and contractible under variations of temperature rigidly secured at one end to and communicating with the lower part of said stand-pipe and secured at the other end so as to be free to expand and contract and communicating with the upper part of said stand-pipe, vertical tubes 14 and 17 connected to the extremities of said tube 1 within said stand-pipe, a controlling device such as a valve or cook and intermediate mechanism for actuating said controlling device by the expansion and contraction of said tube, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a regulator controlled by changes in water-level in a boiler, of a stand-pipe communicating at its lower portion with the water-space of said boiler and also with the feed-water pipe thereof and at its upperportion communicating with the steamspace of said boiler, a check-valve between said stand-pipe and said boiler, a tube expansible and contractible under variations of temperature rigidly secured at its lower end to and communicating with the lower portion of said stand-pipe and secured at its upper end so as to be free to expand and contract, a controlling device such as a valve or cock, and intermediate mechanism for actuating said controlling device by the expansion and contraction of said tube, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a regulator controlled by changes in water-level in a boiler, "of a tube expansible and contractible under varia- 

